Stories of hope in pandemic

Prayers

The deadliest is again on us. It is dangerous than ever before, took lives of thousands already and showing no sign of settling soon. Where there are numerous stories floating every day on nonavailability of many healthcare facilities, medicines, oxygen and doctors; there are human stories that give us hope. Take the following example.

She was selling flowers for a living on the streets of Mumbai.

Police

Mumbai Police advised her to pack up and leave the place owing to lockdown guidelines. She resisted.

She said she would die of hunger if not allowed to sell flowers.

The cops gave her Rs. 500 and promised to provide her 500/day till the lockdown is in force. She need not sell flowers until normalcy is restored.

Even when people will argue with the source of money that the department will manage to pay the old lady, this is a story of humanity and compassion.

Communities like United Sikhs, a Sikh relief organisation has cremated unclaimed bodies 322 times, to be precise.

There is another story of hope where a couple named Rasik Mehta and Kalpana Mehta from Gujarat had a fixed deposit for the future of their son, whom they unfortunately lost to Covid last year. Now they broke the FD of Rs 15 lakh, to help lives of other Covid patients. They have also given their car to be used as an ambulance. Moreover, they provide food to people in quarantine.

In line there are conglomerates who are helping and have contributed immensely in making the lives easier for their employees in the form of providing with Covid health insurance, paid leaves, special helpline to get blood or plasma, free teleconsultations etc.

Likewise, there are plenty of stories that tell us not to lose hope even at the tested time and keep fighting the virus and help save lives in whatever way one can.

I would here conclude in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”

Happy Reading!
Sharmila Das
Editor

All Editorials

A Vision Unveiled: India’s Budget 2024

People from all walks of life are enthralled by the yearly budget every year. This year, the government's main focus is on fiscal consolidation, with the goal of bringing the budget deficit down to 5.1% in FY-25—a considerable decrease from 5.8% in FY-24. The...

Empowering Choices: A Path to Sustainable Consumerism

Exploring the wide array of consumer choices reveals both positive and negative trends that significantly impact the market, the environment, and society. On the positive side, there is an encouraging shift towards informed consumerism, with individuals prioritizing...

Legal Landmark, Fintech Diplomacy, and Progress in India

In a ground-breaking legal development, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has made a resounding decision. The Court has nullified the CP Rules, the Selection Committee, and the examination conducted for the selection of Presidents and Members of District and...

A Historic Moment for India and a Global Commitment to Health

History was scripted when The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeking to reserve 33% of seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women, was passed unanimously by Rajya Sabha, a day after it sailed through Lok Sabha. The passage of...

Addressing India’s Taxpayer Base and Refunds: A Step Forward

India's tax landscape is showing positive signs of growth and participation, as highlighted by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In the fiscal year 2022-23, 2.24 crore individuals out of the total 7.4 crore taxpayers diligently fulfilled their tax obligations,...

Artificial sweeteners aren’t sweet for your health

Let’s start off with something related to our health, shall we? For those of you who choose diet coke or zero-calorie soda as a means to control your weight, there is some concerning information. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released new guidelines...

Controversies and many more

A recent video on the super high sugar content of Bournvita by a social media influencer went viral. The Mondelez India-owned health drink company dismissed charges of excessive sugar content, calling the video "unscientific" and accusing it of "distorting facts and...

Is India Growing?

The Union Health Ministry is preparing to alter the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, a significant step that will require OTT (over-the-top) platforms or streaming services to display health warnings during smoking scenes in motion pictures and Web series...

 ‘India: Growing by leaps and bounds’.

Let's start off on a positive note, shall we? An International Monetary Fund (IMF) official predicted that India would contribute 15% to world growth in 2023. In the approaching year, it is anticipated that China and India will each contribute 50% to global growth...

Some Exciting News

Let’s start off with something encouraging, shall we? According to data made public by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), India's retail inflation rate reduced slightly from the previous month and continued to fall below the Reserve...

A New India

Let’s start off with some good news, shall we? According to the most recent monthly Refinitiv-Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index (PCSI) report, consumer sentiment among urban Indians has improved and increased by 1.1 percentage points in December 2022. Amit...

Changing demographics in India

Let’s start off with some good news, shall we? According to the trade group Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA), the Indian Appliances and Consumer Electronics (ACE) market is anticipated to nearly double over the next three years,...

Dynamic subtle changes in India

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has changed the country's payment system, thereby promoting economic growth. Since UPI was first launched, life has become easier. UPI is currently accepted everywhere, including by taxi drivers, valet parking services, malls, toll...

Positive Economic Outlook

23 per cent of the world's milk production is contributed by the dairy sector of India. It ranks first across the globe. But the rising cases of the Lumpy Skin Disease have thrown the nation out of gear. The lumpy skin disease is a viral infection commonly occurring...

Plastic Straw Ban On: Fight against Pollution

The Central Government has banned 19 single-use plastic items from July 1, including straws. This ban has led to companies including Dabur India Ltd. and Parle Agro Pvt, racing to replace them with imported paper versions. Of the 380 million tons of plastic produced...

Agneepath and Agniveer: In a Nutshell

In a historic decision by the Union Cabinet, an attractive recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces has been introduced with the name AGNEEPATH. The youth selected under the Agneepath scheme will be categorised as Agniveers. With the...

Cut in Fuel Prices, Subsidy on Cylinders: Easing the Burden

With the announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of the cut in fuel prices, the citizens of India as a whole heaved a sigh of relief. With the price of petrol coming down by ₹ 9.5, diesel getting cheaper by ₹ 7, it is a sharp cut in central excise duty on...

E-commerce complaints tops list in national consumer helpline

Out of the almost 60,000 odd complaints that reach the central government's national consumer helpline (NCH) every month, about 36% is for e-commerce. In 2020, the national helpline received 6, 54,192 grievances of which 28.5% was e-commerce related issues. Banking,...

Is the Budget 2022 Middle Class Friendly?

The Finance Bill 2022 presented by India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 announced measures for a number of sectors. It aimed at boosting growth amidst growing inflation added with the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi hailed the...

Why India is so cryptic about crypto?

Well, true!  Cryptos have been quite popular in India and now with the imposition of 30% tax on all digital incomes including NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and cryptos made the investors community lose a heart again. My introduction to crypto happened just a few...

The other Covid Effets

When we just thought we are in the endemic stage and the worst is over, we’ve variant, Omicron now. It has hit the world. India too has reported 21 cases so far including 7 in Jaipur, 1 in Delhi, 11 in Maharashtra and 2 in Karnataka as I write this piece. I’m sure the...

Festivals lighted up consumption. But will it last?

Festivals, especially Deepawali, the festival that Indians observe to celebrate the return of Ram from his 14 years of exile reminded us of the triumph of good over evil. Indians across the regions celebrate the day differently, however, the ethos across the country...

Veganism and India

FSSAI’s recent Vegan logo announcement is a remarkable development in the popularity of vegan foods in India. Going by different reports, it comes to a surprising fact that there was a 47% rise in the vegan related searches in the year 2020. The growing interests for...

What can we learn from Olympians?

What can we learn from Olympians?To be resilient should be the first lesson irrespective of what work you are doing. Irrespective of the time and severity, you will be knocked down at some point and the mental strength to bounce back and punch a blow on the "face of...

Reaching the inaccessible

Atul, a boy in grade 5 used to be a bright and talented student until the pandemic began. Due to the closure of schools, he like many of his friends were unable to continue classes and studies. His mother who used to work in a nearby shoe factory had to give up her...

The Vaccination Mirage

There was a popular tweet doing the rounds lately. It said, India’s vaccination drive is like going for a marriage. At first, the groom wasn’t ready for it, then there was no suitable match and then the groom, because of not getting what he wanted, had to settle with...

Why consumption is good

There is an amazing capacity of consumption. I feel, we consumers are the happiest souls when we consume something of our choice. Be it a slice of pizza, driving a newly launched SUV, consuming content (print and digital both or mere a book). The bottom line is- our...

Enquire Now

    X
    Enquire Now